Introduction As the MATS rule (Mercury and Air Toxics Standards) take effect, electric generating units (EGU’s) nation wide will be required to tighten up their emission standards of mercury. Many of these EGU’s were designed and built many years ago…
Several carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) processes hold much promise, and there are challenges yet to be met A number of post-combustion carbon capture technologies have the capability to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emitted to the atmosphere from…
In the chemical process industries (CPI), dust can present an issue far more menacing than a housekeeping nuisance. Combustible dust is in fact, much too often listed as a cause of serious, and even fatal accidents. Incidents In January…
Targeted use of blanketing with inert gas offers an effective strategy for preventing combustible dust explosions in CPI facilities Combustible dust is a critical safety concern for the chemical process industries (CPI). The use of nitrogen gas as an inert…
Consolidating multiple flares can help mitigate emissions and maintenance Chris Ng and Zubin Kumana Siemens, Process Safety Consulting Many petroleum-refining and petrochemical facilities have experienced tremendous growth in recent years in response to increasing demand for fuels and chemical precursors.…
FIGURE 1 Fire-water pump assemblies are typically skid-mounted to ease installation and operation. Shown here is an example of a skid-mounted, diesel-engine-driven, fire-water pump package Fire-water pumps are critical machines that save lives and prevent chemical process industries (CPI)…
In today’s environmentally conscious world, industrial energy management is increasingly recognized as an essential business practice and economic necessity, rather than an on-again, off-again activity driven by energy prices and geopolitical crises. In this article, we examine the key elements…
A group at Texas A&M University (College Station, Tex.; www.tamu.edu) is developing a process that converts organic municipal solid waste (MSW) into straight-chain alkanes, a primary component in gasoline. The four-step process (diagram) begins with a proven industrial waste-sorting method…
AkzoNobel N.V. (www.akzonobel.com) has partnered with Dutch start-up company Photanol (both Amsterdam, the Netherlands; www.photanol.com) to manufacture specialty chemicals using a photosynthesis-like process that combines sugar production with fermentation in a single organism. Photanol has developed genetically engineered cyanobacteria that…
Last month, the first commercial-scale, post-combustion carbon capture and storage (CCS) plant started up in Saskatchewan, Canada. The SaskPower facility at the Boundary Dam Power Station is expected to capture around 1 million m.t./yr of CO2, which is up to…